Having attended my first in-person Mardi Gras parade in like 10 years, it is strange that I want to focus on Lent with some 11 days to go before we begin the penitential season. But I believe in big time heads up and this year requires a head up. Lent always begins as soon as Mardi Gras ends, midnight as Tuesday turns to Wednesday, always known as Ash Wednesday. Catholic Churches all over the world and across a recovering New Orleans area post Mardi Gras will pack Catholic Churches to receive ashes. Remember man you are dust and to dust you shall return or repent and believe in the Gospel. Catholics should remember that Ash Wednesday is a day of fasting, we do not eat meat on this day, and abstinence, meaning we may participate in one full meal and two smaller meals, also the equivalent of a full meal. We do this prayerfully, penitentially and with full understanding of why we do so.
But for the first time in over 70 years, Ash Wednesday collides with Valentines Day, and may be a source of great concern for the romantic who believes Valentines Day must come with lavish food and drink topped off by a great big box of chocolates. Well, just keep in mind, there are no plans to dispense with the normal fasting and abstinence rules concerning Ash Wednesday even though this year it's also Valentines Day. In fact the Catholic world recommends you celebrate your Valentine in a special way before Lent begins. While fasting does not exist on other days during Lent, it is always a recommended practice, if done properly and sincerely, as a Lenten practice. Abstinence from meat still applies to Fridays in Lent.
By the way, there is no truth to the rumor that ashes will be distributed this year in the form of a heart.
Quite simply, this is a graced opportunity to be more Catholic than wordly so I know that Catholics will handle this wonderfully. And get ready, Easter falls on April Fools Day, really!
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